Precious Achiuwa free agency update shows Knicks likely still in lead for reserve big man

The New York Knicks are still in a position to re-sign Precious Achiuwa.

The Knicks continue to have a hole at backup center. Following the free agency departure of Isaiah Hartenstein, the only centers with NBA experience on the roster are the oft-injured Mitchell Robinson and the seldom-used Jericho Sims.

That has made Achiuwa a favorable target to re-sign. The 24-year-old center came over to the Knicks in the OG Anunoby trade and ended up starting 18 of 49 games with the Knicks, due to a rash of injuries. As a starter, Achiuwa averaged 12.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 52.6% from the field. Achiuwa also played big minutes in the playoffs because of injuries.

Now, he looks like the Knicks' best option as a backup five.

SNY's Ian Begley has previously reported that although Knicks and Achiuwa have been in touch, Achiuwa has also received interest from "contending" teams.

On Wednesday, Begley said on the KnicksFanTV YouTube show that the Knicks and Achiuwa remain in touch and that, if necessary, the Knicks can outbid nearly all teams for Achiuwa, as they have his Bird Rights.

"They have been in touch," Begley said. "They have his Bird Rights, so they can give him a bigger offer than pretty much anyone that would be interested in him. He does, I believe, have offers on the table from other contending teams, so he's got a decision to make. The Knicks could, obviously, increase their offer to the point where he can't say no. Obviously that hasn't happened yet. But they remain in touch. I think the Knicks would like to have Precious back."

Begley also added that it's possible that the Knicks could use Achiuwa in a sign-and-trade for another player but said he is not expecting that to happen.

There is little cap space remaining at this stage of free agency. While some teams could use mid-level exceptions to sign Achiuwa, it seems unlikely that they'd offer him the non-taxpayer mid-level (worth $14.2 million this season), as no player has gotten that full contract yet this offseason. And the Knicks could top the taxpayer mid-level exception, worth around $5.2 million this season, because they have Achiuwa's Bird Rights.

There are other reasons to believe the Knicks should be in the lead to land Achiuwa. Achiuwa played high school basketball in the Bronx. The Athletic's Fred Katz reported on The Knicks Film School podcast that many of Achiuwa's family members attended Knicks games last year. Katz has previously said that Achiuwa also won over Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau with his work ethic; that played out, as Thibodeau was willing to play Achiuwa in big spots last year.

Furthermore, the Knicks offer Achiuwa a clear role. He should easily slot in for 10-20 minutes per game if Robinson is healthy. If Robinson misses time with an injury — Robinson has never played more than 66 games in a season — Achiuwa would presumably be in line to start.

If Achiuwa signed something like a two-year deal with a player option, he could set himself up to earn more with a big 2024-25 season.

Could Achiuwa sign a similar deal to what the Knicks had just given Hartenstein — a two-year, $16 million contract, with that aforementioned player option?

Still, as Begley noted, the Knicks may still be exploring trade options for a stronger center. The Knicks have been linked to Utah Jazz big man Walker Kessler though they likely don't have the assets to trade for him. But given Robinson's frequent injuries, and that Achiuwa is more like 4.5 than a true center, the Knicks are likely doing their due diligence in scouring the market for proven, rotation-worthy centers.

The Knicks have a strong enough roster that backup center doesn't need to be a major worry. But it is the one obvious hole on what is otherwise a balanced roster.